Written Answers Monday 15 May 2006

Scottish Executive

Alzheimer’s Disease

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive why NHS Quality Improvement Scotland is delaying its recommendations in respect of the prescription of donepezil, rivastigmine, galantamine and memantine for the treatment of people with Alzheimer’s disease, given that the Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network (SIGN) has issued recommendations on the management of dementia which include the use of these drugs to treat Alzheimer’s disease.

Lewis Macdonald: The Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network (SIGN) produces guidelines based on published evidence of the clinical effectiveness of interventions.

  The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) also considers a final assessment of cost effectiveness when preparing its appraisals. NICE has not yet produced final recommendations on these drugs. When NICE has reached final conclusions NHS Quality Improvement Scotland will decide whether they should apply in Scotland.

Breastfeeding

Shona Robison (Dundee East) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many mothers were still breastfeeding their babies at six weeks (a) nationally, (b) in each Scottish city and (c) in each NHS board area in each of the last five years.

Lewis Macdonald: This information is available on the NHS Scottish Health Statistics website at:

  www.isdscotland.org/child_breastfeeding.

Care of Elderly People

Dr Elaine Murray (Dumfries) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to review the level of payments made for free personal and nursing care.

Lewis Macdonald: We are currently considering the evidence for a change in the level of payments.

Child Care

Mr Adam Ingram (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive on how many occasions the Children and Young People Delivery Group has met since 2001, showing the dates of each meeting.

Robert Brown: Following Cabinet agreement of its remit on 25 June 2003, the Children and Young People Delivery Group (CYPDG) has met on eight separate occasions: 24 September 2003, 25 February 2004, 15 June 2004, 15 September 2004, 26 April 2005, 25 October 2005, 8 March 2006 and 21 March 2006.

  Prior to the establishment of the CYPDG, the Cabinet Committee on Children’s Services coordinated policy for Children and Young People. The committee was constituted in December 2001 following the publication of the For Scotland’s Children report in October 2001.

Child Care

Mr Adam Ingram (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how it measures the performance of the Children and Young People Delivery Group.

Robert Brown: The Children and Young People Delivery Group agrees a programme of work each year against which progress is monitored and reported annually to the Cabinet.

Child Care

Mr Adam Ingram (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what proposals it is currently considering for the Changing Children’s Services Fund.

Robert Brown: Funding allocations for 2006-07 and 2007-08 were issued to local authorities in November 2005. Joint proposals for uptake of these allocations to improve the integration, quality and availability of children’s services were invited from local partnerships including local authorities, NHS boards and the voluntary sector. Proposals are submitted by local partnerships and are then reviewed by the Executive to ensure compliance with the fund objectives and criteria. Proposals submitted by 19 partnerships have already been approved, four proposals are being reviewed and proposals from nine partnerships are still awaited.

Child Care

Mr Adam Ingram (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will list the outstanding deficiencies in children’s services, highlighted by the Children and Young People Delivery Group’s Action Team in For Scotland’s children.

Robert Brown: "For Scotland’s Children" made many observations about children’s services, including highlighting areas of good practice. Chapter 8 of the Report, which was published as a separate action plan, summarised difficulties in the current system and set out a six-point action plan for avoiding these difficulties and improving services for children over the longer term:

  Consider Children’s Services as a Single Service System

  Establish a Joint Children’s Service Plan

  Ensure Inclusive Access to Universal Services

  Co-ordinate Needs Assessment

  Co-ordinate Intervention

  Target Services.

  We have made good progress in bringing about the improvements in the action plan, for example through Additional Support for Learning legislation and our integrated children’s services planning framework which brings together previously separate plans for children’s services, school education, child health, children’s social work and youth justice.

  Implementation of Getting it Right for Every Child will result in a unified system for both universal and targeted children’s services founded on integrated assessment, a single record and plan to meet a child’s needs when multi-agency support is required and strengthened accountability. We are also taking new powers to compel agencies to work together and to share information where this is in the best interests of the child. A new Quality Improvement Framework and the roll out of joint inspections of children’s services will help to monitor progress.

Child Care

Mr Adam Ingram (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many social workers have been recruited to children’s services in each year since 2000, broken down by local authority area.

Robert Brown: The information requested is not currently held centrally. The Scottish Executive is collecting information on social workers starting and leaving employment with Scottish local authorities during the October 2005 to September 2006 period. Subject to the accuracy, reliability and completeness of this data, it will be published alongside results of the October 2006 annual Social Work Services Staffing Survey which is currently planned for July 2007. Information on the numbers of social workers employed by Scottish local authorities is available as part of the Statistics Publication Notices: Health and Care Series: Social Worker Posts and Vacancies publications, currently produced quarterly and available at http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/Recent .

Child Care

Mr Adam Ingram (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how much funding has been allocated for the retention of social work staff in children’s services in each year since 2000, broken down by local authority area.

Robert Brown: The Executive has provided £270,000 between 2003 and 2006 to support the Supporting Front Line Staff initiative run by the Association of Directors of Social Work, which has a remit across the social services sector not specific to children’s services. We also supported the publication of the Supporting Frontline Staff Framework , and funded its wide dissemination to social work services staff to help improve the retention of staff.

  A key factor affecting staff retention is for staff to have opportunities to develop their skills during the course of their social work services career. Specific Grant for Social Work Training of £5.5 million per annum is allocated to local authorities. This ring fenced funding is to improve the quality of social work service provision by increasing the availability of training for relevant staff. It is not possible to disaggregate the funding specifically spent on children’s services.

  

 
 Initial Allocation
Supplementary Funding


 2000-01
£2,430,000
 


 2001-02
£2,200,000
£3,500,000


 2002-03
£2,200,000
£3,500,000


 2003-04
£5,500,000
 


 2004-05
£5,500,000
 


 2005-06
£5,500,000
 



  An additional £6 million was awarded for three financial years commencing 2005-06 through the Early Years and Childcare Workforce Development fund to support the growth and development of a qualified and skilled, early years and child care workforce.

Child Care

Mr Adam Ingram (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what representations it has received from the voluntary sector in respect of a lack of ring-fenced funding for voluntary organisations in the Changing Children’s Services Fund.

Robert Brown: We have not received any formal representations from the voluntary sector. The potential for retention of resources by local authorities from the transfer of a proportion of the fund into the local government settlement was raised in informal discussions by some local partners. The distribution of fund resources at local level is for local negotiation among partners depending on local needs and priorities.

  Our guidance emphasises the need for local partnership working, including with the voluntary sector. Proposals from local partnerships for uptake of allocations must show that they have been agreed by the voluntary sector.

Child Care

Mr Adam Ingram (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what representations it has had from the NHS raising concerns in respect of accessing funding under the Changing Children’s Services Fund.

Robert Brown: We have not received any formal representations from NHS boards. The potential for retention of resources by local authorities from the transfer of a proportion of the fund into the local government settlement was raised in informal discussions by some local partners. The distribution of Fund resources at local level is for local negotiation among partners depending on local needs and priorities.

  Our guidance emphasises the need for local partnership working, including with NHS boards. Proposals from local partnerships for uptake of allocations must show that they have been agreed by the local NHS board.

Child Care

Mr Adam Ingram (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how the membership of the Children and Young People Delivery Group was determined.

Robert Brown: The remit and membership of the Children and Young People Delivery Group were considered and agreed by the Cabinet in 2003.

Child Care

Mr Adam Ingram (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage of the Changing Children’s Services Fund has gone to the voluntary sector in each year since October 2001.

Robert Brown: The Executive does not allocate specific proportions of this fund to the voluntary sector. Allocations are provided to local authorities who then submit joint proposals for uptake of these allocations in partnership with NHS boards, the voluntary sector and others.

  It is up to the local partnerships to decide how best to utilise these resources to meet local needs and priorities.

Child Care

Mr Adam Ingram (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage of the Changing Children’s Services Fund has gone to the NHS in each year since October 2001.

Robert Brown: The Executive does not allocate specific proportions of this fund to NHS boards. Allocations are provided to local authorities who then submit joint proposals for uptake of these allocations in partnership with NHS boards, the voluntary sector and others.

  It is up to the local partnerships to decide how best to utilise these resources to meet local needs and priorities.

Child Care

Mr Adam Ingram (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive when the guidance on children’s services plans will be updated.

Robert Brown: We intend to consult local partnerships on updated guidance in May and we hope to finalise it by the end of June.

Child Care

Mr Adam Ingram (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many staff have left employment in pre-school and child care centres in each year since 2000.

Robert Brown: The information requested for 2003, 2004 and 2005 is given in tables 2.3 and 1.6 of Pre-School and Childcare Workforce Statistics 2005 published by Scottish Executive National Statistics in 2006, a copy of which is available in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (Bib. number 39531)

  Prior to 2003 this information was not held centrally.

Child Care

Mr Adam Ingram (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage of the current number of vacancies for staff within pre-school and child care centres are for part-time posts.

Mr Adam Ingram (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage of the current number of vacancies for staff within pre-school and child care centres are for temporary posts.

Robert Brown: This information is not held centrally.

Child Care

Mr Adam Ingram (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage of staff who have worked directly with children in each year since 2000 did not hold a qualification in child care at SVQ level 2 or above.

Robert Brown: The information requested for the year 2005 is given in table 1.11 of Pre-School and Childcare Workforce Statistics 2005  published by Scottish Executive National Statistics in 2006, a copy of which is available in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (Bib. number 39531).

  The information requested prior to 2005 is not held centrally.

Child Care

Mr Adam Ingram (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many staff who do not hold a qualification at any level have worked directly with children in pre-school and child care centres in each year since 2000.

Robert Brown: Three thousand, nine hundred and eighty staff who did not hold a qualification at any level worked directly with children in pre-school and child care centres in 2005. This data is from the Pre-school and Childcare Workforce Statistics 2005 and is rounded to the nearest 10.

  Information for previous years is not held centrally.

Child Care

Mr Adam Ingram (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many staff in total have worked in pre-school and child care centres in each year since 2000.

Robert Brown: The information requested for 2003, 2004 and 2005 is given in tables 2.1 and 1.1 of Pre-School and Childcare Workforce Statistics 2005 published by Scottish Executive National Statistics in 2006, a copy of which is available in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (Bib. number 39531)

  Prior to 2003 this information was not held centrally.

Child Care

Mr Adam Ingram (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the average hourly pay rate has been for child care staff compared with the average hourly rate for all employees in each year since 2000.

Robert Brown: The following table shows the median hourly pay rate of child care and related personal services employees compared with all Scottish employees in each year since 2003.

  Median Hourly Pay Rate of Child Care and Related Personal Services Employees and all Scottish Employees, 2000-05

  

 Year
 Median Hourly Pay Rate of Child Care and Related Personal Services Employees
 Median Hourly Pay Rate of All Scottish Employees


 2005
£6.63
£9.15


 2004 (inc)
£6.28
£8.72


 2004 (exc)
£6.19
£8.83


 2003
£6.20
£8.49


 2002
£5.93
£8.31


 2001
£5.53
£7.92


 2000
£5.37
£7.50



  Notes:

  1. Source: Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE), Office for National Statistics.

  2. Figures given are for employees on adult rates whose pay for the survey pay-period was not affected by absence.

  3. Estimates have been rounded to the nearest penny.

  4. To improve coverage and hence make the survey more representative, supplementary information was collected from the 2004 ASHE survey onwards on businesses not registered for VAT and for people who changed or started new jobs between sample selection and the survey reference period. The 2004 and 2005 ASHE results are therefore discontinuous with the results for 2003 and previous years, for which no supplementary information was collected. However, for 2004 two sets of results are given; the headline results that include supplementary information and results that exclude this information. These second set of results are given solely for comparison to earlier years.

  6. Direct comparisons can be made between 2003 and 2004(ex.) or between 2004(inc.) and 2005.

  7. Child care and related personal services employees include nursery nurses, childminders and related occupations, playgroup leaders/assistants and educational assistants.

  8. The median is the value below which 50 per cent of employee pay rates fall. It is preferred over the mean for earnings data as it is influenced less by large or extreme values.

Child Care

Mr Adam Ingram (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what targets it has set for the recruitment and retention of staff working in pre-school and child care centres.

Robert Brown: The Executive have not set a target for recruitment and retention of staff working in pre-school and child care centres.

  It is in the interests of employers that they strive to provide employment conditions which will both attract and retain staff in the sector.

Child Care

Mr Adam Ingram (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what targets it has set for the number of staff holding a relevant qualification to work in pre-school and child care centres.

Robert Brown: The Executive is committed to increasing the proportion of early years and child care workers with qualifications, to meet Scottish Social Services Council registration criteria, from 65% in 2003 to 85% in 2009.

Child Care

Mr Adam Ingram (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many staff working in pre-school and child care centres have applied for workforce development funding since its introduction and, of these, how many applications have (a) been rejected and (b) taken more than two months to process.

Robert Brown: This information is not held centrally.

Child Care

Mr Adam Ingram (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the underlying reasons are for the level of long-term vacancies for staff in the child care sector.

Robert Brown: The information requested is given in table 1.5 of Pre-School and Childcare Workforce Statistics 2005 published by Scottish Executive National Statistics in 2006, a copy of which is available in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (Bib. number 39531).

Child Care

Mr Adam Ingram (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to reduce the 58% of child care staff who leave the sector for jobs which do not involve child care.

Robert Brown: The actual percentage of child care staff that left their employer during 2005 and reported they were moving to a job which did not involve working with children was 11%.

  Staff retention is primarily the responsibility of employers. The National Review of the Early Years and Childcare Workforce has considered the issues around recruitment and retention in the sector. The review will be published soon.

Child Care

Mr Adam Ingram (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage of the total child care and pre-school staff in each year since 2000 were male.

Robert Brown: The percentage of the total child care and pre-school staff in each year since 2003 that were male is shown in the table below. These data are from the 2005 Survey of Childcare and Pre-school Education Workforce. Information for years prior to 2003 is not held centrally.

  Percentage Male Employees

  

 Year
 


 2005
 2%


 2004
 2%


 2003
 3%

Child Care

Mr Adam Ingram (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what proportion of child care staff in each year since 2000 had a registered disability.

Robert Brown: Information on the proportion of child care staff with a registered disability is not held centrally. However, information is available concerning the proportion of child care staff who answered yes to the question "Do you have any health problems or disabilities that you expect will last more than a year?" as part of the annual Survey of Childcare and Pre-School Education Workforce in 2003 to 2005. This information is given in the following table.

  Percentage of Staff Reporting an Illness or Disability

  

 Year
 


 2005
 10


 2004
 9


 2003
 9



  Information for years prior to 2003 is not held centrally.

Child Care

Mr Adam Ingram (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage of the total number of registered disabled people working in the child care sector left the sector in each year since 2000.

Robert Brown: This information is not held centrally.

Child Care

Mr Adam Ingram (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the average hourly pay rate is for staff working in the child care sector who do not directly work with children.

Robert Brown: The information requested for the year 2005 is given in Table 1.13 of Pre-School and Childcare Workforce Statistics 2005  published by Scottish Executive National Statistics in 2006 a copy of which is available in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (Bib. number 39531).

  Information for the period prior to 2005 is not held centrally.

Climate Change

Mr Mark Ruskell (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Green): To ask the Scottish Executive what its estimate is of the total level of CO 2 and other greenhouse gas emissions in 2010 if both the Scottish and UK climate change programmes deliver as expected.

Ross Finnie: The Executive is preparing projections of Scottish CO 2 and other greenhouse gas emissions for 2010 taking account of the measures in the Scottish and UK climate change programmes, and these will be available later this year.

Education

Ms Rosemary Byrne (South of Scotland) (SSP): To ask the Scottish Executive what funds were allocated to each local authority education department for continuous professional development in each year from 1999 to 2005.

Peter Peacock: The information requested is provided in the following table. This comprises: the general CPD allocation to local authorities for teachers; funds given specifically for training and development of teaching and support staff working with pupils with additional support needs; funds for local authorities to deliver drug education and awareness programmes in schools, and funds for ICT training for teachers, for language training for teachers and for science training for teachers. Unfortunately the figures for the years 1999-2000 to 2001-02 cannot be split by local authority and therefore all Scotland totals are given only.

  In addition, over the four years 2002-03 to 2005-06 in excess of £63 million has been distributed to local authorities to cover the CPD and mentoring elements of the teacher induction scheme bringing national spend in 2005-06 to £48.9 million.

  Continuing Professional Development (CPD) Funds Allocated to Local Authorities 1999-2000 to 2005-06 (£)

  

 Local Authority
 2002-03
 2003-04
 2004-05
 2005-06


 Aberdeen City
 885,318
 1,090,600
 968,999
 930,383


 Aberdeenshire
 1,268,966
 1,643,976
 1,480,220
 1,425,064


 Angus
 561,494
 718,923
 641,368
 616,729


 Argyll and Bute
 469,631
 610,204
 559,773
 536,794


 Clackmannanshire
 275,419
 341,773
 313,260
 303,266


 Dumfries and Galloway
 803,057
 1,040,543
 929,573
 890,002


 Dundee City
 684,762
 841,406
 750,757
 725,416


 East Ayrshire
 638,484
 793,129
 722,742
 697,737


 East Dunbartonshire
 615,839
 758,033
 694,544
 668,041


 East Lothian
 427,799
 555,071
 501,609
 480,437


 East Renfrewshire
 508,747
 636,628
 587,664
 567,246


 Edinburgh, City of
 1,676,339
 2,080,103
 1,866,140
 1,791,268


 Eilean Siar
 220,539
 281,208
 253,089
 244,608


 Falkirk
 759,169
 929,188
 857,722
 829,869


 Fife
 1,764,839
 2,185,419
 1,984,929
 1,911,746


 Glasgow City
 2,852,514
 3,445,519
 3,106,830
 3,012,210


 Highland
 1,155,699
 1,504,532
 1,354,443
 1,295,972


 Inverclyde
 449,612
 548,470
 497,953
 480,099


 Midlothian
 412,900
 523,392
 473,470
 453,620


 Moray
 459,269
 594,533
 540,279
 519,542


 North Ayrshire
 730,846
 905,126
 822,274
 793,104


 North Lanarkshire
 1,735,181
 2,132,560
 1,949,747
 1,881,734


 Orkney Islands
 190,557
 235,064
 216,735
 210,181


 Perth and Kinross
 633,609
 822,604
 747,590
 715,118


 Renfrewshire
 912,148
 1,121,885
 1,105,917
 976,439


 Scottish Borders
 510,198
 678,828
 607,921
 578,727


 Shetland Islands
 189,965
 244,937
 221,277
 211,927


 South Ayrshire
 574,195
 715,148
 639,036
 614,310


 South Lanarkshire
 1,582,929
 1,951,077
 1,766,166
 1,705,132


 Stirling
 467,984
 593,030
 540,799
 520,555


 West Dunbartonshire
 520,724
 635,665
 573,460
 551,870


 West Lothian
 803,166
 1,017,320
 929,240
 894,569


 Scotland
 25,741,898
 32,175,898
 29,115,710
 28,033,716


 Scotland total 1999-2000
 5,247,000
 
 
 


 Scotland total 2000-2001
 5,351,000
 
 
 


 Scotland total 2001-2002
 16,799,600

Education

Ms Rosemary Byrne (South of Scotland) (SSP): To ask the Scottish Executive how much money was allocated to each local authority education department for autism-related training courses for teachers in each year since 1999.

Robert Brown: The Scottish Executive does not allocate funding specifically for training in autistic spectrum disorder. The Executive does, however, provide significant funding to education authorities to support the in-service development and training of teaching and non-teaching staff in matters related to additional support needs, including autistic spectrum disorder. It is a matter for education authorities to decide how to allocate this funding in the light of local needs and circumstances.

Education

Ms Rosemary Byrne (South of Scotland) (SSP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many teachers in each local authority area have accessed professional level courses on autism since 1999, showing numbers in respect of (a) postgraduate modules in autistic spectrum disorder (ASD) from the University of Strathclyde and (b) distance learning professional courses in ASD from the University of Birmingham.

Robert Brown: The information requested is not held centrally.

Education

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage of primary schools in the Scottish Borders were over-occupied in each year since 2000.

Peter Peacock: Audit Scotland has published, annually, a set of performance indicators for education which include the percentage of each authority’s primary schools with an occupancy level of 101% or more.

  Copies of the Audit Scotland performance indicators publications are available in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre as follows:

  

 1999-2000
 Bib. number 11197


 2000-01
 Bib. number 18781


 2001-02
 Bib. number 26239


 2002-03
 Bib. number 30712


 2003-04
 Bib. number 35203



  and on the Audit Scotland website at www.audit-scotland.gov.uk.

Energy

Shiona Baird (North East Scotland) (Green): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to mitigate the economic consequences of any forthcoming oil shortage.

Allan Wilson: In the light of a range of factors – including increased worldwide demand for oil and international concern about the security of energy supplies - the UK government is currently taking forward the UK energy review. This review has the objective of ensuring the UK has secure, affordable, low carbon energy supplies. The Executive is participating fully in this review.

European Funding

Jim Mather (Highlands and Islands) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what assurances it can give that EU funding for Scotland under the competitiveness objective will not be used to fund existing programmes run by agencies such as Scottish Enterprise, in light of the possible transition from separate allocation of EU funding which has allowed innovative spending on industry to a single funding stream combining EU funding across Scotland.

Allan Wilson: Although no final decisions have yet been taken by the Executive on how future Structural Funds should be delivered in Scotland, a range of different delivery models are currently being considered. Due to the fact that future Structural Funds will be greatly reduced in future providing added value will be a key criterion in developing any new system. One option being considered is the use of a co-financing model, used widely in other parts of the EU, where blocks of funding are allocated to individual organisations to deliver key priorities. Under any system all organisations used for delivering structural funds would be required to demonstrate clearly how funds would be used to complement activities currently undertaken by them and to ensure the additional value of the funds is maintained. This would be monitored closely by the Executive, as the managing authority, and the programme monitoring committees of future programmes, which will be comprised of key Structural Funds partners.

European Funding

Jim Mather (Highlands and Islands) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what measures will be taken to ensure that innovative employment programmes at regional and local levels funded with the assistance of European funds will not be absorbed into existing national programmes, thereby reducing their independence and effectiveness.

Allan Wilson: It is a regulatory requirement of EU funding that activities must be additional. Moreover, structural funds only provide a share of support for projects with the balance made up by match-funding. Consequently, any decisions on the future development of projects would be the responsibility of their match-funders.

European Funding

Ms Sandra White (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether, given that European structural funding for Scotland is to be reduced, the emphasis placed in 2000 by the then Minister for Finance, Mr Jack McConnell, on the need to target diminishing resources on key areas requiring special assistance will be continued and what steps are being taken to ensure that the most deserving areas gain from this assistance.

Allan Wilson: It is important that future Structural Funds programmes ensure the targeting of funding to areas of greatest need and our initial proposals for future programmes have been developed with this in mind. However, it is also important that funding takes advantage of opportunities for growing the economy throughout Scotland. In developing future programmes we are required to direct the vast majority of funding towards activities which directly support the EU’s Lisbon strategy on growth and jobs. Indeed, the overarching objective of funding under the Competitiveness Objective is to encourage business growth and job creation in areas that are lagging economically behind the rest of Europe. We must, therefore link the commitment to social inclusion and community regeneration under future programmes with the need to support economic growth throughout Scotland.

European Funding

Ms Sandra White (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how it will ensure that European structural funding for the 2007-13 period will be targeted towards the most deprived communities of Glasgow and the west of Scotland and whether it will argue for this in the Department of Trade and Industry’s consultation on the UK’s draft National Strategic Reference Framework.

Allan Wilson: Future Structural Funds programmes are currently being developed and will be published for public consultation later this year. Our initial broad proposals for future programmes are set out in the Scottish chapter of the National Strategic Reference Framework , which has been drafted by Executive officials, and these will be revised to take into account responses to this consultation. These proposals reflect the Executive’s key strategies such as the regeneration statement and list community regeneration and social inclusion as key priorities to ensure that funding is directed towards areas of greatest need. It is clear that, given the significant reduction in funding which Scotland will receive, there will be a need for clear targeting on those key areas and activities and this will be undertaken at a later stage in programme development. This targeting will also be informed by the Executive’s existing strategies and policies including the regeneration statement.

Foster Care

Tommy Sheridan (Glasgow) (SSP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-25337 by Robert Brown on 3 May 2006, what the total amount of public money allocated to finance foster care placements has been in each of the last five years and whether it has any plans to monitor how much was allocated to (a) local authority and (b) the independent or private sector placements.

Robert Brown: Local authorities indicated in their local financial returns for social work that net revenue expenditure on fostering across Scotland over the past five years was as follows:

  

 Year
Fostering Net Revenue Expenditure(£ Million)


 1999-2000
 35.507


 2000-01
 38.379


 2001-02
 43.045


 2002-03
 44.075


 2003-04
 47.334


 2004-05
 55.671



  Source: LFR 3 (Social work) returns.

  In addition, we have allocated £12 million extra funding to local authorities over the period October 2005 to September 2007 to improve fostering services.

  There are no plans to monitor how much is spent on placements provided by local authorities compared to placements provided by other fostering agencies.

Foster Care

Tommy Sheridan (Glasgow) (SSP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-25338 by Robert Brown on 3 May 2006, how many children in total have been placed in foster care in each of the last five years and whether it has any information about whether these children are in local authority-run placements or independent or private sector placements.

Robert Brown: Information about the total number of children placed in foster care each year is not held centrally. The number of children in foster care on the 31 March each year since 2001 is published in Children’s Social Work Statistics 2004-05 and copies are available in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (Bib. number 38157). Information about whether these placements are provided by local authorities or other fostering agencies is not held centrally.

Foster Care

Tommy Sheridan (Glasgow) (SSP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to answer to question S2W-25340 by Robert Brown on 3 May 2006, what the reasons are that (a) information on the number of children in each foster placement is not held centrally and (b) it has no plans to introduce a statutory limit on the number of children in each foster placement, in light of the legal limit of three which operates in England.

Robert Brown: The number of children in each foster placement may change daily. The costs of collecting such data are deemed to outweigh any perceived benefits.

  We are not aware of significant evidence to demonstrate the benefits of a particular limit on the number of foster children per placement and consider other factors such as the needs of each individual child, the number of foster parents in the household and the number of other biological or adopted children to be relevant factors. We will be considering the issue further in our review of fostering and inviting interested parties to submit any further evidence they hold.

Foster Care

Tommy Sheridan (Glasgow) (SSP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-25342 by Robert Brown on 3 May 2006, why there is no national registration process for foster carers similar to that which is being considered for England.

Robert Brown: I am not aware of any plans to create a national registration process for foster carers in England and therefore do not feel able to comment on the merits of such a scheme.

Health

Trish Godman (West Renfrewshire) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether information is held centrally anent the (a) number and (b) placement in NHS Scotland of stoma nurses and others who are qualified to treat Crohn’s disease.

Lewis Macdonald: There are many nurses who are qualified to treat patients with Crohn’s disease, however, this information is not held centrally.

  Within the Clinical Nurse Specialist data collection there are two categories that may specialise in working with patients with Crohn’s disease. These are CNS (stoma) and CNS (gastro-intestinal). As of 30 September 2005, there were 24 (headcount) stoma nurse specialists and 33 (headcount) gastro-intestinal nurse specialists across NHSScotland. The numbers per NHS board are included in the table.

  

 NHS Board
 Stoma
 Gastro-intestinal


 NHS Argyll and Clyde
 1
 2


 NHS Ayrshire and Arran
 2
 1


 NHS Borders
 1
 2


 NHS Dumfries and Galloway
 1
 2


 NHS Fife
 2
 3


 NHS Forth Valley
 0
 0


 NHS Greater Glasgow
 7
 9


 NHS Grampian
 3
 0


 NHS Highland
 0
 0


 NHS Lanarkshire
 5
 2


 NHS Lothian
 2
 11


 NHS Orkney
 0
 0


 NHS Shetland
 0
 0


 NHS Tayside
 0
 1


 NHS Western Isles
 0
 0


 Scotland
 24
 33



  Source: ISD Scotland.

  Information on the Clinical Nurse Specialists in post in NHSScotland is published on the Scottish Health Statistics website under Workforce Statistics, at http://www.isdscotland.org/workforce.

Health

Trish Godman (West Renfrewshire) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what funding has been made available for the training and employment by NHS Scotland of stoma nurses and for the treatment of patients suffering from Crohn’s disease.

Lewis Macdonald: The funding made available for training and employment of stoma nurses is a matter for NHS boards.

Health

Mr Andrew Arbuckle (Mid Scotland and Fife) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what its position is in respect of the treatment of myasthenia gravis and how it can support those who are diagnosed with this disease.

Lewis Macdonald: NHS boards and their planning partners are expected to meet the care needs of people with myasthenia gravis. The management of any individual case is a matter for clinical judgement. We welcome the support which the Myasthenia Gravis Association in Scotland provides for those with the condition.

  The approach to the systematic management of long-term conditions which we have set out in Delivering for Health will benefit those with myasthenia gravis.

Health

Mr Jamie Stone (Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans there are to introduce ultrasound scans for pregnant women at the 20-week stage.

Lewis Macdonald: Currently around 50% of units in Scotland routinely offer 18 to 22 week fetal anomaly scans.

  We wish to see the development of practice across maternity units in Scotland that is consistent and that all pregnant women receive the best possible antenatal care based upon professional evidence and advice. The Scottish Executive are working with health boards to progress work so that all maternity units offer fetal anomaly scans routinely.

Infant Mortality

Shona Robison (Dundee East) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will list the 10 parliamentary constituencies with the (a) highest and (b) lowest rates of infant mortality.

George Lyon: The information requested is given in the following table.

  Infant Deaths In Scotland by Parliamentary Constituency

  Three Year Average Death Rate per 1,000 Live Births (2002-04)

  

 Highest ten constituencies
 Rate


 Greenock and Inverclyde
 10.78


 Shetland
 10.14


 Glasgow Springburn
 9.73


 Clydebank and Milngavie
 9.53


 Paisley South
 8.79


 Coatbridge and Chryston
 8.27


 Dunfermline West
 8.19


 Glasgow Kelvin
 7.59


 Glasgow Cathcart
 7.42


 Central Fife
 7.24



  

 Lowest ten constituencies
 Rate


 Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross
 1.45


 Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber
 1.86


 Dumfries
 2.14


 Glasgow Rutherglen
 2.25


 Gordon
 2.38


 Linlithgow
 2.47


 Livingston
 2.48


 Hamilton North and Bellshill
 2.63


 Western Isles
 2.78


 Aberdeen South
 2.79

Marine Environment

Maureen Macmillan (Highlands and Islands) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether any public meetings on the UK Marine Bill are scheduled to take place in Scotland.

Ross Finnie: There are no plans to hold public meetings on the UK Marine Bill but the issue formed part of the Scottish Coastal Forum’s Conference, Scotland’s Coastal Future – Seizing the Opportunity?, held on 18 April 2006. The Scottish Coastal Forum plans to host a further event on the 5 June 2006 in Perth. My Advisory Group on the Marine and Coastal Strategy is looking into the issue in some detail, in parallel with the Defra consultation process.

Meat Industry

Mr Jim Wallace (Orkney) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will confirm its policy in relation to the burning of tallow by renderers in their plants, in light of the recent announcement by the UK Government.

Ross Finnie: The regulation of the burning of tallow in rendering plants in Scotland is a matter for the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA). The Executive has asked SEPA to discuss with the rendering industry the technical options available to operators to comply with the Waste Incineration Directive in order to keep compliance costs as low as practicable. Our policy in the longer term will be dependent on the outcome of a study initiated by the European Commission to establish whether it is appropriate that the use of tallow as a fuel falls within the scope of that Directive and the EU Animal By-Products Regulation.

Ministerial Appointments

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive with whom it liaised between the resignation of Baroness Clark and the appointment of Neil Davidson on matters relating to the functions of the Advocate General.

Colin Boyd QC: The Scottish Executive does not have responsibility for the appointment or functions of the Advocate General. Officials of the Lord Advocate’s office are in regular contact with officials of the Advocate General’s office in relation to matters of mutual concern. That practice continued during the period referred to in the question.

Prescription Charges

Ms Sandra White (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the rationale was for its decision to exempt some long-term conditions from prescription charges but not to exempt Parkinson’s disease.

Lewis Macdonald: The list of chronic illnesses which confer medical exemption from prescription charges on medical grounds by the UK Government of the day was agreed with the medical profession more than 30 years ago and has not been reviewed since.

  The Scottish Executive has acknowledged that there are anomalies and inconsistencies in the current charge and exemption arrangements, which is why it is undertaking a review of those arrangements. The public consultation phase of the review closed on 30 April 2006 and responses are currently being analysed by independent consultants. The consultants have also been commissioned to establish focus groups targeted on key stakeholders who might otherwise not be sufficiently covered by the written response.

Prescription Charges

Ms Sandra White (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what it estimates the cost would be of removing the requirement for individuals suffering from Parkinson’s disease to pay prescription charges.

Lewis Macdonald: The information requested is not available.

Scottish Executive Advertising

Miss Annabel Goldie (West of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how much it has paid each (a) national, (b) local and (c) evening newspaper in Scotland, including for advertising and provision of supplements, in each of the last 10 years.

Mr Tom McCabe: The information requested is not held centrally by The Scottish Executive, however our current media buying agency has provided this information at no cost to the Executive. The information on spend for the period 1 January 2003 to 31 July 2004 is available at cost from our previous media buyer. The figures prior to 1 January 2003 are not available.

  The Scottish Executive spend with (a) national, (b) local and (c) evening newspaper in Scotland, including for advertising and provision of supplements from 1 August 2004 to 31 March 2006 is as follows:

  

 1 August 2004 to 31 March 2005
 Spend


 National UK
 


 Guardian
£26,739.00


 Daily Mail
£7,400.00


 Mail On Sunday
£3,333.00


 Daily Express
£4,000.00


 Sunday Express
£3,200.00


 Sunday Times
£3,600.00


 Independent
£18,600.00


 Sun
£82,281.00


 News Of The World
£24,490.00


 Metro
£87,728.00


 Total
£261,371.00


 Scottish Daily Titles
 


 Daily Record
£216,565.00


 Scotsman
£58,742.00


 Glasgow Herald
£74,888.00


 Glasgow Sunday Herald
£223,544.00


 Sunday Mail 
£76,238.00


 Sunday Post
£21,120.00


 Scotland On Sunday
£32,975.00


 Total
£704,072.00


 Scottish Evening Titles
 


 Aberdeen Evening Express
£28,725.00


 Dundee Evening Telegraph
£3,167.00


 Glasgow Evening Times
£43,512.00


 Edinburgh Evening News
£24,186.00


 Total
£99,590.00


 Local Press Titles
 


 Dundee Courier
£48,169.00


 Aberdeen Press and Journal
£62,780.00


 Aberdeen Citizen
£4,740.00


 Aberdeen Independent
£5,499.76


 Airdrie and Coatbridge Advertiser
£5,528.56


 Alloa and Hillfoots Advertiser
£4,095.76


 Annandale Herald
£4,095.76


 Annandale Observer
£4,095.76


 Arbroath Herald
£4,095.76


 Ardrossan and Saltcoats Herald
£4,673.47


 Arran Banner
£4,095.76


 Ayr Advertiser
£577.71


 Ayrshire Post
£7,895.42


 Banffshire Journal
£5,849.76


 Barrhead News
£4,095.76


 Bellshill Speaker
£4,095.76


 Berwickshire News and East Lothian Herald
£4,095.76


 Bishopbriggs Herald
£4,095.76


 Blairgowrie Advertiser
£4,095.76


 Boness Journal
£4,095.76


 Border Telegraph
£4,095.76


 Brechin Advertiser
£5,499.76


 Broughty Ferry Guide
£4,095.76


 Buchan Observer
£7,485.76


 Clydebank Post
£4,095.76


 Campbeltown Courier and Argyllshire Advertiser
£4,095.76


 Carluke Gazette
£4,095.76


 Carnoustie Gazette
£4,095.76


 Carrick Herald
£577.71


 Central Fife Times and Advertiser
£4,095.76


 Clydebank Post
£4,095.76


 Cumbernauld News
£4,095.76


 Cumnock Chronicle
£4,673.47


 Deeside Independent
£4,095.76


 Deeside Piper and Inverurie Herald
£1,404.00


 Deeside/Donside Piper
£4,095.76


 Dumfries and Galloway Standard
£6,829.76


 Dunbarton and Lennox Herald
£1,079.00


 Dumfermline Press
£4,095.76


 East Fife Mail
£4,095.76


 East Kilbride News
£5,528.56


 East Lothian Courier
£4,724.76


 East Lothian News
£4,095.76


 Edinburgh Herald and Post
£3,300.00


 Ellon Time and East Gordon Advertiser
£4,095.76


 Falkirk Herald
£8,646.00


 Fife and Kinross Extra
£4,095.76


 Fife Free Press
£5,787.76


 Fife Herald
£4,095.76


 Forfar Dispatch
£4,095.76


 Forres Gazette
£5,849.76


 Fraserburgh Herald
£4,095.76


 Galloway Gazette
£4,095.76


 Galloway News
£4,095.76


 Glasgow East News
£4,095.76


 Glasgow South and Eastwood Extra
£4,095.76


 Glaswegian
£4,320.00


 Glenrothes Gazette
£4,095.76


 Greenock Telegraph
£5,842.76


 Hamilton Advertiser
£5,528.56


 Hawick News
£4,095.76


 Helensburgh Advertiser
£4,095.76


 Highland News
£5,615.96


 Inverness and Nairnshire Herald
£520.20


 Inverness Courier
£16,704.00


 Inverurie and Ellon Independent
£4,095.76


 Inverurie Herald
£4,095.76


 Irvine Herald
£7,895.42


 Irvine Times
£577.71


 John O Groats Journal
£4,095.76


 Johnstone and Linwood Gazette
£4,095.76


 Kilmarnock Standard
£7,895.42


 Kilsyth Chronicle
£4,095.76


 Kilsyth Advertiser
£4,095.76


 Kincardineshire Observer
£5,499.76


 Kirkintilloch Herald
£4,095.76


 Kirriemuir Herald
£4,095.76


 Lanark Gazette
£4,095.76


 Largs and Millport Weekly News
£4,673.47


 Lennox Herald
£4,095.76


 Linlithgowshire Journal and Gazette
£4,095.76


 Lochaber News
£4,615.96


 Lothian Times
£4,095.76


 Mearns Leader
£5,499.76


 Midlothian and Dalkeith Advertiser
£4,095.76


 Midweek Extra
£1,754.00


 Milngavie and Bearsden Herald
£4,095.76


 Moffat News
£4,095.76


 Montrose Review
£5,499.76


 Motherwell Times
£4,095.76


 Musselburgh News
£4,095.76


 Nairnshire Herald
£4,095.76


 North Star
£4,615.96


 Northern Scot
£8,299.76


 Northern Times
£4,095.76


 Oban Times
£5,560.00


 Oban Times and West Highland Times
£4,095.76


 Orcadian
£558.00


 Orkney Today
£242.00


 Paisley and Renfrewshire Extra
£4,095.76


 Paisley Daily Express
£4,095.76


 Paisley People
£4,095.76


 Peebles Times
£4,095.76


 Peebleshire News
£4,095.76


 Perthshire Advertiser
£7,772.76


 Queensferry Gazette]
£4,095.76


 Renfrew and Erskine Gazette
£4,095.76


 Renfrewshire World
£4,095.76


 Rosshire Herald
£4,615.96


 Rosshire Journal
£5,180.76


 Rutherglen Reformer
£1,432.80


 Ruthergelnn Reformer
£4,095.76


 Shetland Times
£4,681.00


 Southern Reporter
£8,419.76


 St Andrews Citizen
£4,095.76


 Stirling Observer
£6,966.76


 Stoneheaven Independent
£4,095.76


 Stornoway Gazette and West Coast Advertiser
£8,437.76


 Stranraer and Wigtownshire Free Press
£4,095.76


 Strathearn Herald
£4,095.76


 Strathspey and Badenoch Herald
£6,528.76


 The Buteman
£302.00


 The Orcadian
£4,095.76


 Troon and Prestwick Times
£4,673.47


 West Highland Free Press
£4,284.76


 West Lothian Courier
£4,095.76


 Western Borders Package
£1,900.00


 Wishaw Press
£5,528.56


 Total
£674,438.22


 Overall Total
£1,739,471.22



  

 1 April 2005 to 31 March 2006
 Spend


 National UK 
 


 Daily Mail 
£15,542.00


 Guardian
£23,362.00


 News Of The World
£7,432.00


 Daily Express
£1,440.00


 Mail On Sunday
£500.00


 Sun 
£40,051.00


 Sunday Express
£840.00


 Sunday Times 
£3,160.00


 Metro 
£74,612.00


 Total
£166,939.00


 Scottish Dailies
 


 Glasgow Herald
£49,573.00


 Glasgow Sunday Herald
£12,860.00


 Scotland On Sunday
£5,079.00


 Scotsman 
£51,530.00


 Daily Record
£906,551.00


 Sunday Mail
£29,195.00


 Sunday Post
£8,960.00


 Total
£1,063,748.00


 Scottish Evening Titles
 


 Aberdeen Evening Express
£18,847.00


 Dundee Evening Telegraph
£7,280.00


 Edinburgh Evening News
£21,469.00


 Glasgow Evening Times
£30,692.00


 Total
£78,288.00


 Local Press Titles
 


 Aberdeen Independent
£681.24


 Aberdeen Press and Journal
£43,178


 Airdrie and Coatbridge Advertiser
£2,750


 Alloa and Hillfoots Advertiser
£681.24


 Ardrossan and Salcoats Herald
£5,065


 Annandale Herald
£681.24


 Annandale Observer
£681.24


 Arbroath Herald
£681.24


 Arran Banner
£681.24


 Asian Extra
£540


 Ayr Advertiser
£892


 Ayrshire Post
£3,392


 Banffshire Journal
£681.24


 Barrhead News
£681.24


 Bellshill Speaker
£681.24


 Berwick Advertiser
£600


 Berwick Gazette
£600


 Berwickshire News and East Lothian Herald
£1,281


 Bishopbriggs Herald
£681.24


 Blairgowrie Advertiser
£681.24


 Boness Journal
£681.24


 Border Telegraph
£681.24


 Brechin Advertiser
£681.24


 Broughty Ferry Guide
£681.24


 Buchan Observer
£681.24


 Caithness Courier
£681.24


 Campbeltown Courier and Argyllshire Advertiser
£681.24


 Carluke Gazette
£681.24


 Carnoustie Gazette
£681.24


 Carrick Herald
£892


 Central Fife Times and Advertiser
£681.24


 Clydebank Post
£681.24


 Cumbernauld News
£681.24


 Cumnock Chronicle
£1,573


 Deeside Independent
£681.24


 Deeside/Donside Piper
£681.24


 Dumfries and Galloway Standard
£5,985


 Dunbarton and Lennox Herald
£2,828


 Dundee Courier 
£32,755


 Dunfermline Press
£4,007


 East Fife Mail
£681.24


 East Kilbride News
£2,750


 East Lothian Courier
£2,871


 East Lothian News
£681.24


 Ellon Times and East Gordon Advertiser
£681.24


 Eastern Eye Scotland
£1,200


 Edinburgh Herald and Post
£1,500


 Falkirk Advertiser
£2,367


 Falkirk Herald
£2,367


 Fife Free Press
£4,475


 Fife and Kinross Extra
£681.24


 Fife Herald
£681.24


 Forfar Dispatch
£681.24


 Forres Gazette
£681.24


 Fraserburgh Herald
£681.24


 Galloway Gazette
£681.24


 Galloway News
£681.24


 Glasgow East News
£681.24


 Glasgow South and Eastwood Extra
£681.24


 Glenrothes Gazette
£681.24


 Greenock Telegraph
£2,719.24


 Highland News
£681.24


 Hamilton Advertiser
£2,751


 Hawick News
£2,073


 Helensburgh Advertiser
£2,025


 Inverness Courier
£24,162


 Iinverurie and Ellon Independent
£681.24


 Inverurie Herald
£681.24


 Irvine Herald
£3,392


 Irvine Times
£892


 John O’Groats Journal
£681.24


 Johnstone and Linwood Gazette
£681.24


 Kilmarnock Standard
£3,392


 Kilsyth Advertiser
£681.24


 Kilsythe Chronicle
£681.24


 Kincardineshire Observer
£681.24


 Kirkintilloch Herald
£3,076


 Kirriemuir Gazette
£681.24


 Lanark Gazette
£681.24


 Largs and Millport Weekly News
£1,573


 Linlithgowshire Journal and Gazette
£681.24


 Lochaber News
£681.24


 Lothian Times
£681.24


 Mearns Leader
£681.24


 Milngavie And Bearsden Herald
£681.24


 Moffat News
£681.24


 Montrose Review
£681.24


 Motherwell Times
£681.24


 Mussleburgh News
£681.24


 Mid Lothian Advertiser
£1,601


 Northern Midweek Extra
£3,330


 Northern Scot
£2,153


 Nairnshire News
£681.24


 North Star
£681.24


 Northern Times
£681.24


 Oban Times
£2,459


 Paisley and Renfrewshire Extra
£1,833


 Paisley Daily Express
£2,112


 Paisley People
£681.24


 Peebles Times
£681.24


 Peebleshire News
£681.24


 Perthshire Advertiser
£681.24


 Queensferry Gazette
£681.24


 Renfrew and Erskine Gazette
£681.24


 Renfrewshire World
£681.24


 Rosshire Herald
£681.24


 Rosshire Journal
£681.24


 Rutherglen Reformer
£2,750.24


 Selkirk Advertiser
£1,392


 St.Andrews Citizen
£681.24


 Stonehaven Independent
£681.24


 Stranraer and Wigtownshire Free Press
£681.24


 Strathearn Herald
£681.24


 Strathspeyand Badenoch Herald
£681.24


 Southern Reporter
£3,069


 Stirling Observer
£3,331


 Stornoway Gazette
£7,022


 The Glaswegian
£7,216


 The Orcadian
£2,687


 The Shetland Times
£2,438


 Troon and Prestwick Times
£1,573


 West Highland Free Press
£1,692


 West Lothian Courier
£681.24


 Wishaw Post
£2,750


 SNPA Local Press Column*
£382,180


 Total
£652,611.00


 Overall Total
£1,961,586.00



  Note: *Contract with the Scottish Newspaper Proprietors Association (SNPA) for editorial columns in 118 local newspapers. SNPA pass on payments to their members.

Social Work

Mr Adam Ingram (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many social workers have left employment in children’s services in each year since 2000, broken down by local authority area.

Robert Brown: The information requested is not currently held centrally. The Scottish Executive is collecting information on social workers starting and leaving employment with Scottish local authorities during the October 2005 to September 2006 period. Subject to the accuracy, reliability and completeness of this data, it will be published alongside results of the October 2006 annual Social Work Services Staffing Survey which is currently planned for July 2007. Information on the numbers of social workers employed by Scottish local authorities is available as part of the Statistics Publication Notices: Health and Care Series: Social Worker Posts and Vacancies publications, currently produced quarterly and available at http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/Recent .

Social Work

Mr Adam Ingram (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive on how many occasions the National Workforce Group on social work recruitment and retention has met since 2002.

Robert Brown: The National Workforce Group for Social Services met 10 times between September 2003 and its last meeting in February 2006. Workforce Development will be one of the work programmes which will implement the aspirations of Changing Lives , the report of the 21st Century Review of Social Work.

Special Educational Needs

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what average time was taken in each year since 2000 to complete special educational needs assessments in the Scottish Borders compared with the national average.

Robert Brown: The information requested is not collected by the Scottish Executive. Audit Scotland, however, publishes details of a range of performance indicators in relation to local authority services, including the average number of weeks taken to complete statutory special educational needs assessments for Records of Needs.

  More information on these indicators is available at:

  http://www.audit-scotland.gov.uk/pi2002/documents/pamphlets/03pi04ac.pdf

  http://www.audit-scotland.gov.uk/performance/documents/2005report/servicespdf/EChS.pdf.

Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body

Holyrood Building

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body what contingency plans it has in place for the Parliament to meet in the event of temporary closure of the Holyrood site.

Lord James Douglas-Hamilton (Lothians) (Con): To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body which contractor was responsible for the installation of support beams above the debating chamber.

Lord James Douglas-Hamilton (Lothians) (Con): To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body who was responsible for checking the effectiveness of the installation of support beams above the debating chamber.

Lord James Douglas-Hamilton (Lothians) (Con): To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body whether consideration will be given to instituting legal proceedings in respect of any defective work in relation to the construction of the debating chamber roof, in light of the incident on 2 March 2006 when a support beam came loose from its mounting in the chamber.

Lord James Douglas-Hamilton (Lothians) (Con): To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body what the implications are for the structure of the Parliament of the incident on 2 March 2006 when a support beam came loose from its mounting in the debating chamber.

Lord James Douglas-Hamilton (Lothians) (Con): To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body whether MSPs will be kept closely informed of the progress of any remedial work to be carried out in the Parliament and the speed with which it will be concluded.

Lord James Douglas-Hamilton (Lothians) (Con): To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body whether it will be established as soon as possible what the reason or reasons were for one support beam coming loose from its mountings in the debating chamber on 2 March 2006 and what future checks will be required to establish the safety of the roof for anyone entering the chamber.

Margo MacDonald (Lothians) (Ind): To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body whether it will make available a copy of the construction (design and management) regulations which cover the parliamentary complex.

Jim Mather (Highlands and Islands) (SNP): To ask the Presiding Officer to what extent the costs caused by the recent problem with the roof of the chamber are being offset by insurance or met directly by the construction companies responsible for those aspects of the building.

Mr John Home Robertson (East Lothian) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body whether all costs arising from the collapse of the beam in the debating chamber roof, including the costs of alternative arrangements for Parliamentary business, will be the responsibility of the structural engineers or contractors who designed and constructed the roof.

Mr John Home Robertson (East Lothian) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body whether it has made any response to the report by Arup Structural Engineers that "proposals are being made for the bolt and socket to be removed and examined", submitted seven days after the failure of this part of the roof structure in the debating chamber, and whether it is satisfied that Arup is treating this subject with appropriate urgency.

Mr David Davidson (North East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body what inspections of roofing bolts were carried out, and by whom, before the Parliament building was handed over for use.

Mr David Davidson (North East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body what insurance is in place in respect of injury or death to any member of staff, the public and MSPs resulting from any failure in construction and management of construction for the length of use of the Parliament building.

Mr David Davidson (North East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body whether (a) it or (b) the Holyrood Progress Group is liable in any way for any failure in inspection processes prior to the roof beam coming loose in the debating chamber.

Mr David Davidson (North East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body what information it has on whether Lothian and Borders Police will be involved in any investigation which could result in a criminal prosecution as a result of the roof beam coming loose in the debating chamber.

Mr David Davidson (North East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body (SPCB) whether the results of any investigations of the Health and Safety Executive will be published when they are received by the SPCB.

Mr David Davidson (North East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body whether any investigation is to be carried out into the design processes connected with the debating chamber roofing structure and, in particular, the beams and their holding brackets.

Mr David Davidson (North East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body who designed the debating chamber roofing beams and brackets.

Mr David Davidson (North East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body who supplied the fitting bolts for the debating chamber roofing beams and brackets.

Mr David Davidson (North East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body which company fitted the fitting bolts for the debating chamber roofing beams and brackets.

Mr David Davidson (North East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body which organisations will be asked to design and replace any changes to the debating chamber roofing beams and holdings if design failures are found in the current structures.

Mr David Davidson (North East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body whether, in light of the roof beam coming loose in the debating chamber, investigatory works will be carried out on other parts of the Holyrood campus and, if so, which parts.

Dennis Canavan (Falkirk West) (Ind): To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body whether it will investigate the possibility of using Holyrood Palace for meetings of the Parliament until the roof of the debating chamber is repaired.

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body on what date the contractors handed over the Parliament building; how long the contractors were responsible for the maintenance of the building; whether there is any defects liability on the contractors after the completion of the maintenance period, and, if so, whether it will provide details of such liability.

Margo MacDonald (Lothians) (Ind): To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body whether an appropriate defects liability certificate for the Holyrood complex has been issued and, if so, by whom and on what date the certificate was issued.

Margo MacDonald (Lothians) (Ind): To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body on which of the contracts for the Holyrood complex retentions are still being held.

Margo MacDonald (Lothians) (Ind): To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body whether the status of the assurance given to the Finance Committee by the Clerk/Chief Executive on 17 December 2002 ( Official Report c. 2433) in respect of the public indemnity insurance on the Holyrood project principally held by RMJM is unchanged from that described by him at that time.

Margo MacDonald (Lothians) (Ind): To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body from which companies contracted to work on the Holyrood project the Parliament is time barred from claiming damages, or cannot do so for any other reason.

Margo MacDonald (Lothians) (Ind): To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body when it will provide a substantive answer to parliamentary question S2W-23826 which received a holding reply on 17 March 2006.

Margo MacDonald (Lothians) (Ind): To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body when it will provide substantive answers to parliamentary questions S2W-24357, S2W-24358, S2W-24359 and S2W-24360 which received holding replies on 30 March 2006.

George Reid: I refer the Member to my letter to all MSPs of 11 May 2006. A copy of the letter is available at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/nmCentre/news/news-06/pa06-046.htm .